"Will these solution tools impact growing more prosumers?".

It's always entertaining to observe the buzz words gaining currency at an industry meeting. NEPA's conference earlier this month was no exception.

Probably my favorite neologism this year was from Linda Smith, director of new-product development for Cahners Digital, a division of Cahners Business Information. Describing the more interactive nature of customer relations afforded by the internet, she said publishers must change their thinking "from consumer to prosumer"--giving the customer more say.

My bet is that prosumer won't catch on, but then again many of us said that about proactive--not to mention impact or impact upon as a verb. Or grow as a transitive verb for anything beyond growing crops and beards Growing your business invariably has me picturing someone watering the plants in the reception area.

Those nostalgic battles for grammatical precision may be lost, but I'm still waging one on not capitalizing the internet. NL/NL readers came up to me in the promenade to say they agreed with my campaign (see "Is your editor committing a capital crime?" NL/NL 4/30/01).

I contend that it is no more deserving of being capitalized than are telephone or radio.

Many readers also e-mailed me that they agreed. Robin Cardwell of Marketletter Publications Ltd. in London wrote, "I think you are correct in not capitalizing internet or the web."

Susan Crawford of Ardmore Publishing Company, Atlanta, wrote:

I run a grammar column in one of my newsletters and have come to see myself as quite an expert on these matters, and I have THIS to say about THAT.

Internet is no more a proper noun that is telegraph or telephone or radio. The internet is a mode of communication, not the name of a specific system such as the U.S. Postal Service.

Who would ever write:

I heard on the Radio that the Telegraph system was down, so I immediately Telephoned him to send his information by Mail.

On the subject of getting visitors to one's web site to fill out a brief questionnaire, Lynn Dougherty, of Pepper and Rogers Group, spoke of drip irrigation-- which describes a series of slow, short questions for prospects, instead of turning them off with a barrage of questions.

Robert K. Jenkins admitted to learning not new words but new meanings to old words. He wryly said in web site development meetings those around him used tools and solutions in ways he didn't recognize. What Bob has to do is repurpose his mental faculties.